Scuderia Ferrari have the car capable of taking Mercedes’ world title this year, insists Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, the former boss of the Benetton and Renault F1 racing teams. Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel has won the first two races of the new Formula One championship, and Sebastian’s victories have already seen him open up a 17-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.
Scuderia Ferrari are also ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings – although two Silver Arrows on the podium in Bahrain have kept Ferrari from taking a larger lead. And Flavio Briatore reckons the time has come for Mercedes’ F1 dominate to come to an end, with Ferrari now eyeing a first world title since 2007: “This year the Ferrari is more solid than last year.” – Italian businessman explained, as reported by the British media earlier today – “I would say that it is on the same level as the Mercedes and finally we will come back to see a fun championship, with two teams having a 50 per cent chance each to win races. The Australian Grand Prix is atypical, that of Bahrain is more indicative and Ferrari produced a great race. They changed strategy at the right time, they did a super job and Vettel drove in an incredible way to keep his tires like that until the end. When you win it is not only good for one person but for everyone.” – Flavio Briatore added.
Next up for Scuderia Ferrari is the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, which is scheduled to take place on April 13-15. Mercedes have won each of the last four instalments of the race, with Hamilton claiming three of those victories. The Maranello team last won in Shanghai in 2013, when Fernando Alonso stormed to victory ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who was then at Lotus.
